


Under Another Sky

by solarium (monokuro)



Category: Sword Art Online (Anime & Manga)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Drabble Collection, Fluff, M/M, i offer you this meager meal
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-24
Updated: 2020-08-23
Packaged: 2021-03-04 04:41:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 1,255
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24887755
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/monokuro/pseuds/solarium
Summary: A collection of AUs and scenes about our favorite sword boys.Chapter 3: Warmth“Kazuto!” He tries to avoid sounding like a scolding mother, failing miserably. “Where’s your scarf?”
Relationships: Eugeo/Kirigaya Kazuto | Kirito
Comments: 13
Kudos: 105





	1. Canonverse Cuddles

As an elite disciple of Sword mastery Academy, Eugeo experienced more freedom than he ever had, bar only the journey he and Kirito undertook one year prior. He never felt this more keenly than on rest days. Curled up with a book, no tree to work at endlessly, no disappointed looks from his family to endure, Eugeo knew peace. 

Until chaos fell right into his lap. 

Eugeo jolted. “Kirito!” He gave his unruly friend his best disapproving look. “Don’t surprise me like that! Can’t you see I’m reading?” _He must have come through the window again,_ Eugeo thought with a frown.

Kirito grinned. Eugeo felt his face heat- he wasn’t used to that smile this close. “Can’t you see I’m tired?” His pink lips parted around a yawn. “Be my pillow, Eugeo.”

Pushing aside the _other_ feelings that inspired in him, Eugeo snorted. “Tired from what? Surely you’ve just been spending our money on snacks all day.” Despite his critical tone, he promptly set down his book to make room for Kirito. This didn’t escape the boy’s notice, earning Eugeo another bright smile.

“Eugeo, how could you say such a thing?” Kirito settled onto Eugeo’s thighs, eyelids drooping. Without waiting for a response, he fell into a light sleep.

Eugeo let his eyes linger on the boy in his lap. His hand drifted toward black locks before he snatched it back. He would be mortified if his best friend awoke as he tried to- to pet him. It wasn’t worth it, no matter how soft he appeared.

Getting over his moment of awkwardness, Eugeo felt himself relax as he picked his book up once again. Like this, Kirito warm and close, he felt better than before. He couldn't truly feel at peace without Kirito by his side after all.


	2. Coming Home

Kirito watches the world end. Kazuto wakes up.

He lays immobile for several seconds, almost unable to process his continued existence. He twitches a finger. His real, weakened body feels heavy and confining compared to that of the Black Swordsman. Forcing his eyes open, he squints at his painfully bright hospital room with a groan.

A faint sound- from beside his bed?- registers. “------?”

The voice, heavily muffled, can’t reach Kazuto’s ears through the haze of disuse. His senses feel smothered. He blinks and forcibly turns his head toward the voice, meeting eyes with-

_Eugeo?_

There, in a chair next to Kazuto’s hospital bed, sits the boy he’s been longing to see for years. His childhood friend is dressed casually in a t-shirt and jeans, holding a book in his hands. Kazuto somehow feels this kind of visit isn’t uncommon. Eugeo, for his part, is gaping. He looks different- older. More muscular, maybe. But those big eyes full of emotion haven’t changed a bit.

Kazuto feels himself returning to _before_. Years of fear, guilt, horror- years of being _The Black Swordsman_ , a lone wolf, doing everything he can to survive and get home, things he doesn’t want to think about ever again- it all falls away. 

He’s in elementary, reaching out a hand to the foreign-looking boy on the playground. Play-fights with sticks, laughter of pure joy, green eyes looking at him with a gratitude he can’t yet fully comprehend. He’s in junior high, playing on a handheld in the corner of the classroom, fine with being “the weird kid” at lunch as long as Eugeo will still sit beside him. 

He’s here, waking up from that nightmare in a hospital bed, and Eugeo is _still there_. He’s always there.

__

“Yo, Eugeo-kun,” He croaks, grinning so wide it hurts. “Long time no see.”

_Thank you for never leaving me behind._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I crave...irl childhood friends AU...


	3. Warmth

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Kazuto!” He tries to avoid sounding like a scolding mother, failing miserably. “Where’s your scarf?”

The toll of the school bells signals the end of another day, and the quiet classroom comes to life. Amid the scraping of chairs and chatter, Eugeo gets ready at a leisurely pace, still caught on the tail end of a daydream. The book he’s currently reading has been especially absorbing, and he can’t help but spend the end of class imagining what could happen next.

“You’re pretty slow, Eugeo- _kun_ ,” a familiar teasing voice drawls. Eugeo slants a look to his right and finds Kazuto grinning up at him, arms crossed on top of Eugeo’s desk. A glance around the room reveals it almost empty of other students. He huffs a laugh, shoving books into his schoolbag a bit faster. 

“Why, should I be hurrying for some reason?” he asks, hurrying. “Did you want to go somewhere today?” 

“Mm _maybe_ ,” Kazuto deflects, night-sky eyes glittering, but he could never stay quiet about something that excites him so much for long. He quickly gives up the act. “Kayaba Akihiko did a new interview with a tech magazine, and I have to go pick up an issue.”

Eugeo heaves out a gusty sigh. “Him again? Isn’t Sword Art Online already slated to come out next year?” _October 31st,_ he thinks, but Kazuto doesn’t need to know how closely Eugeo listens to all his rants. “What are you so obsessed with keeping track of him for?” 

He’s only messing with him. Ever since the creation of the Nervegear, Kazuto has been following news of Kayaba religiously. The man is the perfect idol for his gaming-obsessed best friend. Sometimes, when Kazuto ditches him for a scheduled boss raid, Eugeo loses himself in nostalgic thoughts of the time before they were too cool for play-pretend. But it’s not as if he could ask for a duel now, anyway. He knows why Kazuto quit kendo.

Kazuto brushes off the friendly jibe with a smile and the two leave school together. Outside, the December air meets them with a chilling breeze. Eugeo breathes out slowly and watches it cloud in front of him with a smile. As they wind their way through alleys to their usual bookstore, Eugeo adjusts the long scarf around his neck and eyes the boy next to him. He’s only wearing a coat over his gakuran, and as Eugeo watches, he catches what is surely a shiver. He frowns. 

“Kazuto!” He tries to avoid sounding like a scolding mother, failing miserably. “Where’s your scarf?” 

“Oh, that?” Kazuto blinks. “I forgot it today. It’s not that cold, anyway.” Eugeo narrows his eyes. Touching his own scarf again, he comes to a decision. 

“Come here,” Eugeo says, heat rising in his face. He hopes Kazuto assumes it’s due to the winter air. Kazuto seems confused, but listens, stepping closer. Quickly, before he can lose his nerve, Eugeo takes one end of the warm fabric and wraps it around his friend, binding them together. It isn’t very difficult; they’re almost exactly the same height, after all. He finds himself appreciating the contrast of blue on black as Kazuto’s eyes widen. Eugeo thinks he might be blushing too, but surely that’s just the weather. 

Eugeo expects teasing for being such a mother hen, maybe even a chokehold if he’s unlucky. But Kazuto just presses a hand to the scarf gently. “Thanks,” he says, smiling, a soft curling of his lips. Eugeo wrenches his gaze away. Unable to bear the fluttering feeling that quiet smile brought out in him, he blurts a question about Kayaba, and Kazuto readily launches into another impassioned speech. The moment passes, and they walk on.

When, at the shop counter, Kazuto mumbles a sheepish “I forgot my wallet too,” Eugeo laughs at him. And then he takes out the cash he keeps in his coat pocket, because in truth, Eugeo will never be tired of taking care of Kazuto.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> did someone say more irl childhood friends? i did. i said it.

**Author's Note:**

> we need more yujikiri and i can't finish anything longer so i decided to make this to get out my ideas & give us some content. thank you for reading!


End file.
